Savarkar defamation case: Rahul Gandhi appears before Pune court virtually, granted bail

The court granted Rahul Gandhi bail on a surety bond of Rs 25,000. Congress leader Mohan Joshi from Pune stood as surety for Rahul.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jan 10, 2025 10:23 PM IST

VD Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint before a magistrate court in Pune against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Savarkar in London on March 5, 2023. (Express File Photos)

A Pune court on Friday granted bail to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, in a case filed against him for allegedly defaming Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Rahul had appeared before the MP/MLA court, presided over by special judge Amol Shinde, through video conferencing.

The court granted Rahul bail on a surety bond of Rs 25,000. Congress leader Mohan Joshi from Pune stood as surety for Rahul.

Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint before a magistrate court in Pune against the Congress MP for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Savarkar during in London on March 5, 2023.

The case was later transferred to the MP/MLA court. Despite the court’s order that Rahul Gandhi “must personally appear”, he had remained absent during the previous hearings. His lawyer Milind Pawar had told the court that Rahul could not appear due election campaigns in different states and Winter Session of Parliament.

Satyaki’s lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar had then filed an application seeking a non-bailable warrant against Rahul and that action be taken against him under IPC section 174 (not appearing intentionally).

Advocate Pawar argued that being LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul’s presence for the Parliamentary session was important and so he may be exempted from appearing before the court. Court allowed the exemption plea and ordered Rahul to appear on January 10.

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Accordingly, advocate Pawar told the court Friday morning that Rahul would appear through video conferencing.

Submitting citations and rules of Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Bombay High Court and Supreme Court, advocate Pawar claimed that Rahul can appear virtually.

But advocate Kolhatkar argued there was no provision in law that allows first appearance of the accused before the court virtually.
Kolhatkar made submissions on the basis of a Maharashtra government notification dated December 19, 2024, regarding the “High Court of Bombay Rules for Video Conferencing for Courts 2022”

After hearing both sides, the court rejected Kolhatkar’s application. Soon, around 5.15 pm, Rahul Gandhi appeared virtually before the court.

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Advocate Kolhatkar raised objections that the court has not nominated a “coordinator” for video conferencing under Rule 5 of the “High Court of Bombay Rules for Video Conferencing for Courts 2022”.

Court, however, set aside the objection citing the same rules, pointing out “exceptional circumstances” including “law and order and matters relating to the safety of the accused…”

Advocate Pawar then filed applications on Rahul’s behalf, seeking bail and exemption from appearing before the court for further hearings. Court allowed both the applications.

Court informed Rahul that the next hearing would take place on February 18.

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In his petition, Satyaki had stated that Rahul Gandhi has intentionally made “false, malicious and wild” allegations against Savarkar. With his complaint, Satyaki had attached a few news reports as well as a YouTube link of a video of Rahul’s speech in London as evidence.

As per the directives of the court, the Vishrambag police station of Pune city police conducted an inquiry into this matter and submitted a report on May 27, 2024 that Rahul Gandhi has allegedly defamed Savarkar in his speech before the “Indian Diaspora in London” in March 2023.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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